


Dream Squad

by matchasnow, sujiverse



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, Police Squad AU, inspired by brooklyn 99, the matchaverse expands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24138559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/matchasnow/pseuds/matchasnow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sujiverse/pseuds/sujiverse
Summary: Partner detectives Kim Jungeun and Ha Sooyoung find a way to get along despite their differences, amidst the trials, tribulations, and shenanigans of Seoul's finest police squad.
Relationships: Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Comments: 17
Kudos: 88





	1. The Perp That Got Away

**Author's Note:**

> from sujiverse:  
> so i have no idea how this went from "random conversation topic with matchasnow" to "collab of the century" but i'm not complaining. hope you enjoy this precious love child of my and matcha's brain! super excited for what's to come and yes, don't worry, we've actually planned this entire thing out and i'm not winging it like i usually do. perks of having a partner. *finger guns*
> 
> from matchasnow:  
> it is a pleasure to welcome you all to the ever-expanding matchaverse! srsly. sujiverse is such an amazing, brilliant, best partner. *finger guns back at ya*. anyway, please enjoy and leave comments, kudos, or whatever you're comfy with. shout out to our beta-friends velvet_plush and K_Morpho, thank you both! and to sansrival-nim, for letting my crazy friend decipher and borrow your code for the graphics, thank you!

  
The plan is simple: go undercover as a broke college student, trying to buy a cheap, definitely stolen, laptop from the perp and then arrest him.

Detective Ha Sooyoung (or rather, Yves, a sociology major from Ewha Women’s University on scholarship with a gambling addiction who blows off all of the very little stipends she receives on sports betting), looks around the surrounding area once more. The only back alley has a uniformed officer waiting and all other possible exit points are secured. If the perp tries to run west, there are two more officers on stand by there. If he heads east, he’ll be running right into the boring but ruthless Detective Kim Jungeun, Sooyoung’s partner.

Subconsciously, Sooyoung’s hand goes inside her hoodie pocket to grasp her badge. She hums under her breath while thinking of a good line to drop when she arrests him. Something witty? Or something punny? The possibilities are endless but she definitely can’t say _didn’t your mother ever teach you that stealing is wrong_ because, hands-down, that’s something her lame partner would say.

Sooyoung hears a cough behind her and turns around to meet her target.

“Yves?” He drags out the S and she cringes internally. These dumb criminals never get it right.

“The S is silent,” She can’t resist pointing out. “But whatever. You got the laptop?”

He unshoulders his backpack and pulls out a MacBook.

“Oh, this is better than I thought.” She mumbles, faking interest as she inspects the device. “You sure all the anti-theft features have been disabled?”

“Yeah, it is. So are we cool?” The perp asks.

“Yeah, hold on. Lemme just get your payment.” She makes a show of putting her hand inside her hoodie pocket, but instead of the expected wad of cash, she pulls out her badge. “Jokes on you I am a whole anti-theft feature! Seoul PD! You’re under arrest for-”

The perp shoves at her shoulder and she staggers back, dropping the laptop and never finishing her sentence.

“Hey! Come back, you!” Sooyoung yells, breaking into a sprint, and talking into her earpiece. “The target is on the move. All units pursue!”

The perp heads east and she smirks, knowing Jungeun’s gonna be there to catch him.

“Kim, he’s heading right to you!”

She gets no response, but she keeps going all while she’s running after the man’s sleazy ass.

“This is totes going to be easy breezy.” She shakes her head in disbelief at their luck. “Since we’re in the area, how about we get some tteokbokki after?”

For some reason, Jungeun still doesn’t answer. Maybe she’s flustered already.

“Detective Kim, just so you know I’m wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.”

Sooyoung can’t believe how fun it is to tease her.

For his part, the perp does try to make the chase difficult, scattering styrofoam boxes of vegetables from the street vendors and, on several occasions, the vendors themselves at Sooyoung. But this is nothing new and she dodges everything easily, jumping and turning away with the grace of a ballerina and the experience of a seasoned cop.

It helps that she’s wearing Vans. She thinks that maybe she should wear this to work all the time. Really, this athleisure undercover fit is doing wonders. Although, maybe, she’d like it more if she was wearing a crop top.

They reach the opening of the intersection and Sooyoung shouts excitedly into her earpiece.

“Kim, he’s coming to you! In three, two, one!”

She brakes with her heels, expecting her partner to come out from behind the corner of the 7-Eleven with her signature baton-to-the-leg move that’s brought down more criminals than she can count on her two hands but instead, Jungeun comes out of the convenience store’s door. Her earpiece dangles on the wire hanging over her shoulder. On one hand, she holds a pack of Lucky Strikes and on the other, her silver Zippo lighter.

With no one putting him down, the perp continues running farther into the street, weaving through and blending in with the incoming lunch hour crowd of smartly dressed business people. Both of the detectives know it’s futile to even try and find him now.

“Seriously?” Sooyoung rounds on her partner whose whole face is turning red with embarrassment. “We’re on the job!”

She frowns at the ground and then at the things clutched in Jungeun’s hands. She knows how this has been a struggle for her. Jungeun’s not a smoker per se, but when she gets really stressed out, she turns to it.

“You said you were gonna quit!” Still, Sooyoung can’t help but feel frustrated.

“Ha, I have a very good reason for this. I can explain-” Her partner starts but Sooyoung turns around and waves her hand to signal for her to follow.

Without looking back, she says:

“You can forget about the tteokbokki, Kim, because I’m driving us back to the precinct right now.” She pauses for dramatic effect. “And you’re telling Cap exactly how you let that perp get away, Katy Perry.”

* * *

  
“This job is eating me alive. I can’t breathe anymore. I spent all these years trying to be the good guy. The woman in the white hat. I’m not becoming like them…”

A deep breath.

“...I am them.”

“Hey! Would you stop that?” The statement makes Sooyoung look up from her phone. The Instagram live stream is still going. Jungeun rolls her eyes, before providing a seething, “Some of us are trying to work.”

“Fine, but I want you to know that your vibe is making me feel like…” Sooyoung raises a thumbs down, blowing a raspberry with her tongue out. “Everybody come look at Detective Grumpyface!”

Sooyoung points the camera to her briefly.

Jungeun returns to her paperwork, and blames herself for having to work overtime. All because she let the stupid perp from the petty theft case get away. Simple chasedown, shouldn’t have given in to her… tendencies, to put it nicely.

Now she’s stuck at her desk on a Friday night, having to listen to her least favourite detective doing terrible Donnie Brasco impressions to an audience she can’t see.

“Alright, this has been fun. Sorry guys, I gotta go back to my real job now… need to ruffle a certain detective’s feathers if you know what I mean. Hah!” She hears the phone click shut and sighs, resisting kicking Sooyoung from underneath their joined desks. “So… did the Captain give you a telling off? I wouldn’t know, I wasn’t here for all the screaming. Oh wait, I was.”

Sooyoung, as much as she occasionally cares about Jungeun’s lung health, is a devil for a partner.

“Why are you still here anyway, you’re done with all your open cases.”

“Date says she’s running late,” Sooyoung explains, picking up a stray piece of paper and folding it down the middle. “I gotta wait here for twenty more minutes so I can arrive at a suave five minutes later than her.”

She’s not even using a ruler. Jungeun winces.

“You just don’t want to wait outside because you still haven’t fixed the heater in your car.”

“BOOOOOO.”

The haphazardly folded paper crane is flung towards Jungeun’s head, narrowly missing her. All these years and Sooyoung still hasn’t changed. Not that that’s a compliment. Jungeun picks it up off the floor and briefly contemplates flinging it back towards Sooyoung.

She takes the high road, crushing it in her fist and letting it fall into their shared bin instead.

“NO! You killed Betty!” Before Jungeun can retaliate with another bewildered comment about what exactly goes on in the other detective’s head, a familiar set of heels clicking against the aisle distracts Sooyoung from the murder at hand. “Oh, Captain! Going somewhere? You look nice. Look at you, all dressed up.”

Captain Jo is still in her usual police uniform. She tilts her head quizzically at Sooyoung, and Jungeun decides she can’t look on anymore.

“I’m… going on a date,” she says with a pause. “Thanks, Detective. Good work on the drug bust. Enjoy your weekend, dude.”

The police captain turns to leave.

Sooyoung gasps dramatically, “Did you hear what the captain said? She told me to enjoy my weekend! She called me dude! Has she ever called you ‘dude’? I know you would kill to have what I have with Haseul.” Another gasp. Jungeun wishes she could roll her eyes far back enough just so she wouldn’t have to look at Sooyoung anymore. “Did I just call her Haseul? Sorry, my bad, I’m too comfortable with her. We’re like best friends. Haseul, Haseul, Haseul. Also, I wonder which drug bust she meant… the Cheongdam one I solved? Or was it the Apgujeong one that I also solved...”

Jungeun presses the pen to the report on the ‘perp that got away’ so hard that it punctures a hole in the paper. Now she has to redo it. Fantastic.

“I wonder who she could be seeing, though… Her lady friend from aerobics? Or maybe that nice barista she couldn’t stop talking about. Oh, wait, no, she’s too busy to date anyone else because she spends five days a week at the precinct, Saturdays at spin class, and Sundays with her parents. Which means-”

“She’s lying!” Jiwoo supplies from the table across the aisle. The detective’s eyes widen as she connects the dots. “Classic misdirection! Lonely captain doesn’t admit she’s single to her subordinates. Nice find, Sooyoungie! I knew I could trust you.”

“Wrong! Come on Jiwoo, we’re supposed to be on the same page. She’s dating…” Sooyoung looks around, stage-whispering to Jiwoo but clearly making a scene so huge that Jungeun has no choice but to notice. “...the SARGE!”

“WHAT?! Sooyoung, I bet a hundred thinking that’s what you meant when you said ‘I know who the captain’s dating’ during lunch!”

“What? I clearly said I know who the captain is dating in that sentence, why would you bet against that? Nevermind, I’ll split the profits with you. I put two hundred on my word.”

Jiwoo lights up like a candle. “You’re the best!”

“Aren’t you in debt?” Jungeun questions in disdain.

Sooyoung folds her arms, placing them on the desk as she stares right into Jungeun’s eyes. She smirks slowly. “I believe the word for what I’m in, Kim, is _crippling_ debt.” It’s not just the wink she sends Jungeun’s way that makes her narrow her eyes.

“Can you stop making bets about their love lives?” Jungeun barely makes it through her sentence before she’s met with another extended boo. She stares the culprit - Chaewon - down. “They’re our superior officers. That’s such an invasion of their privacy. Not to mention how Sergeant Wong is literally still sitting at her desk, not out on a date with _her_ superior officer.”

Sooyoung sticks her tongue out at her while propelling another failed paper crane her way. Childish. Jungeun never expects anything more or less from her.

That’s when the sergeant gets up to leave as well. “Goodnight, squad. Have a good weekend.”

Sooyoung raises her eyebrows at the fazed Jungeun. “Hey sarge, quick question: where are you going, who are you meeting and where will you be staying the night?”

“Where I sleep is none of your business, Detective Ha,” Vivi stalls, a grin creeping out from under the stoic facade. “Though, actually, I have a date. Bye!”

As the sergeant leaves, Sooyoung punches the air in victory. Jiwoo gasps loudly at the revelation, scandalised.

“I had twenty on them being together!” yells Detective Hyunjin from her seat. Her partner, Heejin, sitting across her, knocks her forehead against the table with a groan as Hyunjin gloats.

“We still don’t know for sure! Right? I mean, they could be separately going on dates.”

“Jiwoo! You’re supposed to be on my side, I even promised you half my winnings!”

The detective turns to her with an apology in her eyes. “Sooyoungie, you’re my best friend and I love you, but I need my 100,000 won back. You know I am overly attached to things I know I’m never getting back. I need this.”

“You do have a lot of ex-girlfriend issues… Hold on, you put how much in there?!”

“A hundred thousand won!”

That makes Detective Heejin rise from her seat, amused. “Wait, how much did _you_ bet?”

“Two hundred. Like, two hundred won.” The squad lets out a collective groan. “Oh come on, I’m in crippling debt! We ALL know this.” Heejin mutters words of thanks under her breath, sitting back down. “Right, so: a hundred, twenty, Jeon got forty on them _not dating_ , like a loser. Chaewon put in her deck of tarot cards. Thank you, Chaewon. And Detective Kim Jungeun has decided to abstain from betting!”

This time the round of boos came from all around the squad. Chaewon links up some sad piano music from YouTube to the precinct speakers. Jungeun looks up and around her reluctantly.

“Twenty on them being together,” she mutters, loud enough for only Sooyoung to hear.

“What was that, Detective?”

“Twenty,” Jungeun clears her throat uncomfortably, “on them being together.” She narrows her eyes. Something’s wrong. “Hang on, why are the last few pages of my report missing...”

“Good choice,” Sooyoung remarks with a wink. “Wait what?”

“I left them right... “ Jungeun points at the space between their desks, where the stack of very important papers once lay. “There.”

Oh no. Sooyoung looks at the pathetic crane in between her thumb and index finger, blinking very hard and very fast. She sees it. The very neatly scrawled “Kim Jungeun” under “Detective-in-charge” on the wing.

Sooyoung’s out of the precinct before Jungeun can finish screaming, “HA SOOYOUNG!! MY REPORT!!!”

* * *

Sooyoung sniffles a little, feeling herself grow irritable.

As nice as Gangnam is at night, the cold nullifies any of its bourgeois niceties from ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ to ‘downright meh’. Pulling her leather jacket even tighter unto herself clearly isn’t working. She really needs to get her heater fixed.

And her date is still running late.

The tapping of her fingers on the steering wheel is short-lived as she busies herself with scrawling decorative text on a box of dark chocolate coated Pepero, the one she bought in the afternoon but decided to save for a very special occasion-slash-person. If she puts this much effort into it, Detective Kim has to think it’s a decent apology, she supposes. Just as she perfectly squeezes out the last ‘S’ with her marker, a cold gust of wind blows, taking her last remnants of positivity with it.

She shoves the Pepero and the marker back into her briefcase. At least she’s parked opposite a club with a long line snaking into the next intersection. Very rowdy teenagers who have definitely pregamed and are also most certainly feeling testy from the biting cold? That’s just free entertainment.

Her phone dings.

i'm almost there! sorry to keep you waiting hwang eunbi  
that’s cool yo im parked a street away. tell me when your a minute away and ill head over detective hawt sooyoung  
  


She leans back into her seat, closing her eyes briefly. And then, just as she’d hoped, a loud scream tears her out of her reverie. She opens the door and jumps out of the car. A girl in the line is crouching in fear while a lanky man stands over her, fist raised and ready to strike. Security seems too preoccupied to care. They’re drawing some eyes.

“Bitch! Fuckin’ flirting with other guys in front of me!”

“Hey! What’s going on?”

“None of your business, bitch.” The man looks up. Sooyoung watches the fury in his eyes melt away into confusion, and then fear. She hasn’t even pulled out her badge yet, and he looks terrified…

“Shit!”

...because they’ve met. Just this morning. Sooyoung feels her phone pinging in her pocket. Her date is probably here. As expected, he takes off. Technically, she’s off duty. But she also made someone do even more overtime than she deserved, so maybe this is her comeuppance.

“Damn it,” she huffs, before sprinting after him.

Three blocks, one shortcut, and thirty seconds later, Sooyoung sees the perfect opportunity to tackle him from behind. He’s pinned to the ground, hands put behind his back. He tries to wriggle himself free, and Sooyoung only chuckles when putting the handcuffs on him. As if those two chopsticks he called arms could prove any resistance to her.

“You’re under arrest for theft and assault… _punk_ ,” Sooyoung adds a little unnecessarily when he glares back at her. She recites his rights to him on their way back to her car, her body warmer than it was before and her date completely forgotten about.

* * *

  
Even after a smoke, Jungeun finds it difficult to calm herself down. If anything, breaking her promises to quit has only made her more nervous and jittery. She’s never purposely broken anything - not a single rule, not even a pencil! And then, like clockwork, Sooyoung’s pure look of terror before taking off flashes across her mind again, and she finds herself cursing aloud. “Ah shit! That asshole.”

“Smoking isn't good for you,” Heejin, the only other detective left, says from her seat. “Won’t do your paperwork for you either. Thought you were trying to quit.”

Jungeun sighs in relief at the absence of judgment in her voice - she can’t take another blow to her fragile psyche, not right now. Either way, she’s glad to have company. Heejin has always been her favourite junior.

“I am. It’s hard,” Jungeun mumbles, settling back down at her desk. She swivels her chair, leans back tiredly, and sighs. “Sooyoung’s not being extremely helpful about it either.”

Heejin laughs. “Say that again without the sugar-coating.”

“I wanna strangle her so bad, Heejin,” Jungeun groans. There’s a beat before Heejin chuckles at the revelation. It takes a whole lot for Jungeun’s inhibitions to be lowered, but it seems the detective has been thoroughly defeated by the day’s events.

“Sometimes you need to just let it out.”

“She’s the _worst_!”

“Yes! Keep going, you’re doing so well.”

“She’s like- she’s like a child! She takes my things without asking and uses my paperwork for origami.”

Heejin nods for her to keep going. And so Jungeun does.

“Sometimes, when she turns on her Instagram live three feet in front of a crime scene, I reach for my stun gun.”

Her mentee gasps, “No way!”

Jungeun nods solemnly. “I’m not proud of that. But I’ve never shot her either, so a win for the force’s mandatory impulse control training…” That’s when Jungeun notices that Heejin’s desk is already packed. “Hold on, you’re done for the day? You should leave. Don’t wait for me. I’m not going to go any time soon.”

Heejin shrugs, “I know. But I thought you’d appreciate the company for just a little while. Mentee duties.”

That brings a smile to her face - probably the first genuine one for the entire day. “Thanks, I do. But really, you should go. Pretty sure I heard Hyunjin say she’ll be waiting for you in her car.”

“Oh SHIT! You’re right!” Heejin scrambles out of her seat, dashing a few feet before backtracking to get her briefcase. “Bye!” Heejin sprints towards the exit, places a hand on the door handle, before turning around yet again with a grin on her face. “You should make someone hold on to your lighter! Somebody you trust. I heard it’ll make you feel more accountable in working towards actually quitting.”

“Bye!” Jungeun calls after her, chortling to herself. Her own laughter fades quickly when she realises that her little break is over, and she has to finish up her work before she can actually leave. Bummer. She scrawls impatiently over the same report, twirling her pen in her fingers before slamming it on the table in frustration.

And then, a thud against the glass door. Jungeun looks up, fully expecting it to be Heejin, who has probably left something behind. There’s a scrawny man pushed against the door from the outside instead. She squints, catching the faintest glint of shiny handcuffs twinkling against the glass. Belatedly, she registers the black leather jacket of the other figure, and then hears an unmistakable voice aiming a muffled string of insults at the perp.

“What the- Ha?!”

* * *

Jungeun’s jaw remains hanging even after ten minutes have passed since Sooyoung walked through the precinct’s glass doors with the perp from earlier, handcuffed and looking humiliated.

Still confused with the sudden turn of events, she looks to the defeated criminal as he’s sitting in the holding cell and back at her partner who stands a few feet away from her, arms crossed over her chest with victory on her smile.

“How did this happen?” Jungeun mumbles. “You left for your date…”

“I did. But this punk made the mistake of being in the same place as me. Can you believe this guy?” Sooyoung shakes her head as she walks to her desk. “He had the audacity to be out in the open after narrowly escaping earlier!”

The precinct is looking empty with all of the other detectives having left and the fewer nightshifters slowly coming in. So Jungeun briefly wonders why Sooyoung suddenly boots up her computer as if she had more work to do.

Her question gets answered when Sooyoung looks up at her.

“Well, what are you doing just standing there, Kim?” She asks, tilting her head to the side to gesture for her to take her seat. “C’mon, I’ll help you finish up with your report so we can both leave.”

“I don’t understand. You’re supposed to be on your date. You can still make it. You’re only, what, twenty minutes late?”

“It doesn’t matter now.” Sooyoung looks at her with those big eyes and it’s as if they’re the only ones in the room. “I’m already in the company of a pretty woman, aren’t I?”

Jungeun’s ears light up like a flare.

“No, but seriously.” She clears her throat. “I’m sorry for being an asshole earlier. I know you’ve been stressed lately with your cases and just… grovelling for the Captain’s approval _AND_ ,” She enunciates the word to stop Jungeun from interrupting because she was about to jump up and wring her neck. “I haven’t exactly been helpful.”

Jungeun blinks at that.

“But you know, we’re partners, Kim.” She pauses thoughtfully. “We have been, for almost two years now. You can talk to me about anything.”

“I guess, what I’m saying is rather than resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms… you can, maybe, try talking to me.” She adds sheepishly. “Well, that is if you want to. I can’t promise I’ll give great advice but I swear, I’ll be here to listen.”

For a moment, Jungeun remains quiet, watching her usually overconfident and narcissistic partner twiddle her thumbs.

“You know what?” She finally speaks up. “I think I’ll give that a try. So you can hold on to this.”

Jungeun pulls her lighter out of her blazer pocket and slides it across their desks.

“What’s this for?” Sooyoung frowns. “Are you telling me to take over your smoking for you?”

“No! I’m saying I’ll quit for real so you can do whatever the hell you want with my lighter, like throw it away.” She glares at her, crossing her arms over her chest. “It was a symbolic move, Ha.”

“Was it? Anyway, that’s good and I appreciate it because there’s something else.”

The uncharacteristic shyness is back as Sooyoung reaches into her own pocket to produce a box. Because the front is haphazardly doodled over with marker and neon green highlighter, Jungeun has to squint before she recognised the drawing as the logo of (what used to be) her preferred cigarette brand.

Jungeun takes the box from Sooyoung and turns it over to realise that it’s actually dark chocolate coated Pepero, probably from one of the precinct’s vending machines. She looks up to the other detective for an explanation.

“I heard it helps to have something bitter on your tongue when you’re trying to stop smoking. So, there’s that.” She shrugs and throws her hands up. “And there’s me.”

Sooyoung offers her a smile and turns to her computer promptly.

“So, shall we book this criminal now?”

* * *

  
Sooyoung marches in her apartment, slamming the door hard against the wall when she opens it to make sure her neighbour knows she’s back. She kicks her shoes off and navigates the almost strategically mapped out mess of dirty laundry and empty take-out boxes in the living room.

She should probably take care of that. But maybe later, when she’s not about to pass out from the exhaustion of working overtime.

Heading straight to her room, she plops down on the bed face first. She feels and hears her shoulder pop as she shrugs off her jacket and throws it to the floor. She pats her pants pockets, feeling around for her phone but finds a much smaller rectangular object instead - her partner’s lighter.

Sooyoung pulls it out and stares at her distorted reflection on the shiny metal surface smiling stupidly back at her. She carefully places the lighter down on the nightstand, where it’ll be safe and there’s no chance of her losing it, before resuming her search for her phone.

She finds it on the tangled mess that is her jacket.

Several unopened messages from the date she ditched flash on the screen, asking about her whereabouts and if she was still coming. While it may have been flattering to be receiving a long thread of messages from a very pretty girl, the last ones make Sooyoung feel sorry because they sound very pissed, with few extremely colourful choice words that call her out for not showing. It’s a pity, Eunbi seemed like she might’ve been fun to hang with. But whatever.

Sooyoung swipes down to close those notifications, leaving them unread. Then, she starts tapping away on a new messenger window with one goal in mind. (Okay, maybe there’s several. So what?)

d.r.e.a.m. squad    
  
  
**detective hawt sooyoung** _renamed the group chat_  
** d.r.e.a.m. squad  **   
my fellow detectives + chaewon welcome 2 da d.r.e.a.m. squad    
detective hawt sooyoung  
owo  
what's this?  
det. kim jiweewoo (≧∀≦ゞ  
  


  
We already have a D.R.E.A.M. Squad GC, Ha. The one Captain Jo made. The Detectives for Radical, Empathetic, and Active Mitigation Squad against crime GC, remember? What's this for? Kim Jungeun  
why it's for the bet ofc we can't have cap and sarge knowing abt this it's a secret gc! detective hawt sooyoung  
  


  
（☆∀☆） no snitches pls det. kim jiweewoo (≧∀≦ゞ  
and fyi, this is a different d.r.e.a.m. squad gc, kim it stands for dating is rad! encourage associates to marry am i a genius or what?  detective hawt sooyoung  
LOL det. heekonan  
or what aeong  hyunjin.  
  


  
I'm pretty sure that's not how acronyms work, Ha. Also, marriage? We're just betting on them dating. Kim Jungeun  
BOOOOOOOOOOOO  ya boring detective hawt sooyoung  
BOOOOOOOOOOO princess chae  **princess chae** _sent a [link]_   
hehehehehehe det. kim jiweewoo (≧∀≦ゞ  
  


  
I swear to god, if that's the Produce 48 theme song piano version again... Kim Jungeun  
*bats eyes* princess chae   
gdi Kim Jungeun  
HEEEEY she used internet slang!  detective hawt sooyoung  
  


  
Sooyoung watches the dots dance on her screen. It disappears for a bit and reappears again to let her know that Jungeun’s having trouble figuring out what to say.

_Mission accomplished._

Sooyoung falls asleep like that, phone cradled in her chest and a light smile on her face.


	2. Do I...Stank?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from sujiverse:  
> sorry for the wait. 2020 got in the way. acab!!!
> 
> from matchasnow:  
> ayy we didn't abandon this! happy holidays everyone! cheers to a better year in 2021! and remember, ACAB!!!!

_ Mondays should be cancelled. Breathe to sign the petition. _

Park Chaewon, Captain Jo’s administrative assistant, or as she likes to call herself (the detective squad has her back on this one, she swears), the princess associate of the Gangnam precinct, types in on her phone.

She pauses to review the tweet and nods slowly. She’s sure her 11K loyal subjects, err,  _ followers _ will be eating this up. If it reaches the locals, she might even be looking at another platinum tweet. Hitting send with finality, she looks up just in time to see her childhood friends, detectives Ha Sooyoung and Kim Jiwoo, begin whispering conspiratorially not too far from where her desk is outside the captain’s office.

Rolling her eyes at whatever they might be up to this time, she pushes herself off her chair to stand as Sooyoung starts clapping her hands together to call everyone’s attention. 

“Alright! Happy Monday, squad! Before we go out and seize the criminals of this day, betting updates!” She announces with a flourish.

“Gather ‘round while the Cap and Sarge aren’t here.” Jiwoo sings, standing on her tiptoes and gesturing that both the captain’s office and the sergeant’s desk are still empty.

The rest of the detectives wheel their desk chairs to the aisle, except for Jungeun who stays planted at hers and stirs her iced coffee with a metal straw, looking half-annoyed and half-amused. 

Chaewon takes that as her cue to skip to the door in her usual fairy fashion, willingly taking one for the team as the lookout.

“So, over the weekend, Jiwoo and I,” Sooyoung pauses, so she and Jiwoo can trade gang signs, “hung around Captain Jo’s neighbourhood.”

There’s a snort and the sound of ice crunching inside a metal tumbler, courtesy of Sooyoung’s partner.

“That sounds like stalking. You really should get a life, Ha.” Jungeun says, shaking her head in obvious disappointment.

Sooyoung only smiles as she runs a hand through her wet hair.

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew I went home with a hot Cheongdam-dong girl on both days, Kim.” 

“She did. I was there. I witnessed it.” Jiwoo confirms while the rest of the squad express their disgust.

“Anywayyy, it’s not like you don’t want to know what the Captain did during the weekend.” Sooyoung wags a finger at Jungeun. “For that, I won’t be telling you anything about the wine club meeting she hosted at her swanky apartment on Saturday night and how she didn’t leave the following day.”

Jungeun gasps.

The opportunity to make fun of the uptight detective who idolises their captain is right there but Chaewon lets it slide because it’s five minutes to 9 and Captain Jo will be arriving soon.

“Oooh, a wine club meeting!” She interrupts from her perch on the doorway, keeping the conversation on track. “So did you see the Sarge in there with her?”

“Uhh, nope. We were with Sergeant Wong at Everland for two consecutive days.” Heejin says. “What? There was a pretty good deal for tickets and did you all know that she’s obsessed with the rides?”

Her partner, Hyunjin, sucks in a deep breath and then quickly adds. 

“The tickets were all from Heejin. She won them from two Naruto fan art contests.” She finishes with a proud look on her face.

“Umm, we didn’t need to know that but thanks for the info, Hyunjin.” Sooyoung says, an unreadable look on her face as Heejin turns tomato red.

Jungeun puts her drink down and gets up from her seat.

“So, what you’re all saying is that we still have nothing on them?” She puts a hand on her hip and gives Sooyoung a look of disbelief.

“Damn right! We don’t!” The taller detective exclaims, then winks. “Good work, Detective Kim.”

“Aww, thanks, Sooyoungie.” Jiwoo exclaims, grinning from ear to ear.

“I meant, Detective  _ Kim Jungeun _ . Not you, Detective  _ Kim Jiwoo _ .” Sooyoung says with a frown, but pats Jiwoo on the back when she starts pouting. “But you did great too, Jiwoo.”

With the familiar sound of tiny and rapid, clearly over-caffeinated footsteps coming up the precinct steps, Chaewon coughs loudly to signal that their captain is coming. They all run to their respective desks, pretending that they haven’t been discussing anything concerning their superior officers, especially their love lives, by turning to their computers or leafing through random case files. 

“Good morning, squad.” Captain Jo greets. 

There’s a dark figure, decked in all black - leather jacket, shirt, jeans, and combat boots - towering behind her that everyone couldn’t help but notice. 

To answer their questioning gazes, the Captain continues.

“I’d like to introduce you all to the new addition to our team, Detective Son Hyejoo. She’s coming in from the Hongdae precinct. Please welcome her warmly.”

Heejin flashes a dorky smile at the newcomer. Hyunjin is more reserved and just gives her a small wave. Jungeun, ever so pompous, comes forward to shake her hand. It’s no surprise to Chaewon that Jiwoo tackles her for a hug and that Sooyoung pretends to be cool by simply nodding at her and saying  _ ‘Sup?’ _ .

Chaewon, however, is too busy pulling up the Captain’s schedule for the day, buried under several pages of headcanons of Oh My Girl fanfiction in the notes app, to even think about what her greeting should be. She doesn’t even notice that her boss is speaking to her.

“Chaewon?” Captain Jo finally has to walk up to her and tap her on the shoulder.

“Yes, Captain?”

“I said please notify me when Sergeant Wong comes in and tell her that I need to speak with her before the briefing.”

“Oh, sure, Captain. It’ll be my pleasure.” She gives her a loaded smile and sly wink, which the captain either doesn’t seem to understand or just doesn’t acknowledge.

“Alright. Now, can you please keep Detective Son company for the time being? I’ve been told by logistics that it’ll take them some time to set up her work station.”

Captain Jo waits for Chaewon to nod before beckoning the new detective to come closer.

“Detective Son, this is my assistant, Miss Park Chaewon.” She addresses the rookie. “You can stay with her while we get you set up.”

The captain immediately walks off to her office so she completely misses the events that follow as the new detective looks at her assistant for the first time. 

First, the large fan behind Chaewon swings in her direction. It blows strong air towards her, ruffling her luscious blonde hair and cashmere cardigan with a mechanically produced breeze. Second, that breeze travels to the detective, carrying with it the scent of the civilian administrator. Lastly, Son Hyejoo slaps a hand over her mouth and nose. Her whole body stiffens, shoulders tensing with how hard she resists taking air, and more of that scent, into her lungs.

Chaewon sees all of it though. She would’ve been worried that the detective might be having an asthma attack but her wolf-like eyes look straight at her so fiercely, it’s as if she had offended her and her whole family, including her ugly pet dog, just by existing.

She takes a step back in fear for her life. 

“Hey, Son!” Sooyoung calls as she approaches, placing a hand on the new detective’s shoulder and effectively taking her attention and eyes off of Chaewon who sighs in relief. “Let me introduce myself, I’m Detective Ha Sooyoung. I’m one of the seniors here.”

As she walks around her desk to sit on her chair, she grabs the neck of her shirt, taking a whiff of herself to check if she reeks unpleasantly in any way. She finds that she still smells of her shower gel, watermelon-scented, so, no, she does not  _ stank _ .

“And I’m Detective Kim Jiwoo! You can just call me Jiwoo! Do you mind if I call you by your first name?” She hears her other friend squeak in excitement.

Now, Chaewon would usually jump in on whatever those two are up to, as it’s called upon by their friendship pact, but not this one. She can’t because the new detective just gives her… the creeps.

* * *

It’s been a rough first few days at the Gangnam precinct for Hyejoo. Which is weird.

Her transfer had been smooth as it was heavily vouched for by her superiors at her old precinct; they were confident that she would be a great addition to Seoul PD’s only all-women detective squad, headed by a young and progressive captain. 

She’s certain she can live up to those expectations. She had graduated top of her class in the academy, with notable skills in marksmanship and strategy. She’s physically and mentally strong, too. She was the youngest and one of the best detectives from her previous precinct. And not that anyone’s asking, but she’s on platinum tier in League. 

Still, Hyejoo feels down.

It’s not that the work environment and behavior of the members of the squad aren’t as she thought it would be. Instead of fiercely competitive and professional, she gets… whatever this is. 

  
  


Her eye twitches as the detectives in front of her, Kim and Jeon, take turns in throwing popcorn onto each other’s open mouths. On the desk next to hers, Jiwoo, is non-stop making hearts and cute faces at her phone that’s propped against an open case file. Meanwhile, from across the aisle, senior detectives Kim and Ha, engage in another round of childish flirtation. The latter is currently pelting minuscule paper balls at the former with a plastic straw (not that Hyejoo keeps tabs on them, but just by looking, she can infer that Ha is trying to get on Kim’s nerves for an earlier unnecessarily passionate speech about minimizing plastic consumption for the sake of sea turtles).

She doesn’t actually mind any of those though, because she’s seen how good all of them are with their work. They put in more arrests and closed more cases in the three days she had been here than her former squad is ever capable of doing in a whole week.

So, no, it’s not their foolish acts that bother her either. It’s something else.

Tired from typing on her computer for the past hour, Hyejoo looks up from the report she’s working on. At the same time, the captain’s assistant, Chaewon, looks up from whatever she was doing on her phone and they make eye contact from across the room. 

Similar to what she has been doing whenever this happens (which is quite a lot, for some reason), Hyejoo tries her hardest to keep her facial muscles from doing anything stupid, like smile. It’s a struggle and she ends up putting all of her efforts into holding a frown. 

She just doesn’t understand how someone can be so beautiful like _that_.

Park Chaewon looks like a fairy princess with her doe eyes that sparkle, her pretty pink lips shaped like a heart, and her beautiful, impossibly healthy blonde hair. She also smells like watermelon, Hyejoo’s most favourite scent in the entire world. During that first day she caught a whiff of her perfume, she had to restrain herself from saying anything, because she'd rather not use the term, but the thing is, Captain Jo’s assistant might be her dream girl. 

Whenever she sees her bossing around Detective Jeon, picking a fight with Detective Kim Hyunjin, or else giving backhanded compliments to Detective Kim Jungeun, Hyejoo’s insides just feel like it’s been planted with a hundred IEDs, which she finds she doesn’t ever want to defuse.

And that’s a problem because her said might-be-dream-girl sports a deep frown on her face too. Chaewon breaks eye contact with her and hurriedly gets up, walking in tiny but fast strides towards Detective Ha’s desk. 

_How cute._

“Stop flirting with Jungeun and get off your ass, Sooyoung!” She hisses with urgency.

“We’re not-” Jungeun tries to say but Chaewon swipes a hand in her line of vision, stopping her.

“Not now, Jungeun.” She says very slowly and gives her a pointed look, as if she was talking to someone who had trouble understanding, before she turns back to Sooyoung. 

Jungeun blinks in confusion as Sooyoung responds to Chaewon’s request.

“Hey, hey, take it easy. What’s the rush? Also, I’m not flirting with her. Can’t you see that I’m trying to make her angry and I’m succeeding?” She says, defensively.

Chaewon rolls her eyes hard.

“You’re borrowing moves from a first-grader!” She hisses again. “Stop it. Get Jiwoo and come to the break room! NOW!”

She stomps away to the aforementioned room. Sooyoung grumbles but gives in, whistling to get Jiwoo’s attention and gesturing for her to follow. 

As soon as she gets up, Jungeun picks up the green plastic straw her partner had been using and throws it in the trash bin off to the side of their desks. 

Hyejoo can’t help but feel intrigued as she watches the trio file inside the small room.

The break room of the Gangnam precinct is made up of all-glass walls and a door, paid for personally by Captain Jo herself. She heard from Jungeun that it was to make sure that everything the detectives did in there was visible from the captain’s office, leaving little room for skiving off work. 

So, when Chaewon closes the door behind them, their eyes meet again but the girl quickly turns her back on her.

This is what’s upsetting. It’s tragic how Chaewon obviously doesn’t like Hyejoo.

Sighing, the detective tries to go back to her report but her eyes keep going to what’s happening in the break room. Chaewon is talking animatedly to the two detectives, who in the past five minutes, have glanced her way more than once.

She can tell they’re talking about her.

When Hyejoo looks up yet again, she meets Sooyoung’s eyes and the senior detective gives her an awkward smile.

Deciding that she’s had enough, Hyejoo gets up from her chair and walks to Jungeun’s desk.

“Hey, Detective Kim?” 

“Oh, what’s up, Detective Son?” Jungeun pauses from spritzing Lysol in her general area. 

“I know it’s not my place to ask but… what’s the deal with those three?” She nods off to Chaewon and friends.

“Them? Oh, well, they’ve known each other forever. Grew up in the same neighborhood and went to school together.” Jungeun replies.

Hyejoo pulls up a chair and looks eagerly for the senior detective to continue, so Jungeun does, putting her disinfectant spray down.

“They had this investigation club in high school, the SSS club. I think it stands for Sooyoung’s Snooping Services club. Ever heard of it? No? Me neither. Ha just never shuts up about it. Anyway, they wanted to be in the force together. Ha and Kim went to the academy. Chaewon sadly never got to graduate so she couldn’t get in. But those two got her a job here so they could still kind of solve crime as a trio.”

“Oh. Is that so?” The words trail off Hyejoo’s lips as she pouts. 

“Why? Is something wrong?” Jungeun gives her a curious look. 

“I think I’ve somehow gotten on Chaewon’s bad side.” Hyejoo lets her shoulders fall.

“Oh, no wonder she keeps saying _‘scary-looking hottie_ ’. That must be you.” She mumbles.

“Excuse me?”

Jungeun points to Chaewon’s reflection off the glass pane of the break room.

“I have a knack for lip-reading. My peers at the police academy didn’t call me Kim Lip for nothing, you know.” She says proudly.

“You do? Well, what are they saying now?”

“Umm, Jiwoo’s saying _‘no, that’s not true. She’s super cute and super nice. Have you seen her cheekies? They’re soooo squishy.’_ Oh.” Jungeun stops to give her a look of concern. “Should we call HR?”

“No, no. It’s okay.” She waves her off. Jiwoo’s said it to her before so it’s not news to her. Right now, she needs to know more. “Please just keep reading their lips, Detective Kim.” 

Hyejoo turns to the other three behind the glass wall again so she can continue watching, this time, with Jungeun’s dubbing.

“Chaewon’s saying _‘Ooh, you’re defending her? why? Because you wanna hit that like Sooyoung wants to hit Jung-_ okay, that’s not it!” Jungeun’s chair skids back as she stands very fast, her palms slamming down on the desktop.

Hyejoo looks back at her to see that she’s turned very red in the face.

“She doesn’t!” The senior detective seethes. “Ha just lives to annoy me and make my life miserable. And even on the slightest, most minuscule chance that she does, there’s no way I’m letting her _‘hit that’_ . Do you know how many girls she’s fooled around with and left broken-hearted? I refuse to be just like one of them. Also, I _can’t_ stand her!”

Hyejoo looks to the trio again as the gears turn in her head. Their discussion seems to have become even more heated and to calm down the raging (but still so cute) Chaewon, Sooyoung casually drapes an arm around her and pulls her close.

“Oh, yeah? Me too.” Hyejoo mumbles, feeling her insides begin to bubble with anger and jealousy.

“You do?” Jungeun asks, her tone surprised.

Sooyoung draws even closer to Chaewon, whispering something in her ear before she pulls back to look straight at Hyejoo.

“Definitely,” Hyejoo says with finality.

“Well, in that case, I think you should know that Ha is _‘with Chaewon on this one. There’s something weird about the new kid_ . _’_ ” Jungeun supplies.

_Oh, it’s on._

“It’s really nice working with you, Detective Kim. We should do this again.” Hyejoo says as she gets up.

“Of course. Anytime. And call me Jungeun.”

“You can call me Hyejoo then.”

The two of them shake hands and Hyejoo walks back to her desk with a newfound purpose. Ha Sooyoung is going to regret making her an enemy. And she’s definitely going to win Chaewon’s heart. That is… she can try to, right?

* * *

"Chaewon says she gives her the creeps," Sooyoung whispers to her partner. 

They're in the meeting room, working a case together. The new detective stands a few feet in front of their table, examining the board. Why the sergeant decided they needed a third detective to work such a straightforward case boggles her. What she doesn't know is that Jungeun personally put in a request to "mentor" Hyejoo. The sergeant never once doubted her intention. 

Distractedly, her partner asks, "The cereal thief?" 

"No, not the _serial cereal stealer_ ,” Sooyoung emphasises. “Chaewon said that." 

"No," Jungeun replies, not even looking up. "I mean, who is Chaewon talking about?"

Sooyoung juts her chin out in Detective Son Hyejoo's direction. Reluctantly, Jungeun finally raises her head. She dons a stiff leather jacket and combat boots that make Jungeun's pantsuit getup look like summer clothing. 

"Why, because she was the youngest uniformed officer ever promoted to detective? Or because she dresses like a biker."

Sooyoung gasps. "That was hurtful. I know you hate bikers. Wait, you- Are you jealous?" She gasps louder in realisation. "Are you feeling THREATENED?"

Hyejoo briefly turns to look at them. 

Jungeun quickly glares at Sooyoung, muttering a "no" when Hyejoo returns to the board. Ever the insufferable one Sooyoung is.

"I get why you would feel that though,” Sooyoung admits, “she's kinda amazing." Son Hyejoo is the youngest detective on their squad but, like everyone else, her resume is nothing less than spectacular. Legend has it, she once ch

"Who?" Hyejoo voices all of a sudden.

Jungeun tries not to snort as Sooyoung’s mouth hangs open in stunned silence. 

"You?” Hyejoo narrows her eyes. “I mean. Um... uhhhhhhhh the serial cereal stealer. She's amazing! Just slipped right through the mighty hands of the law."

"Not sure if letting a criminal as high profile as this one get away should be something to be lauded," Hyejoo articulates in a low voice. She meets Sooyoung's eyes. "What I find interesting is, what made you think a woman did this, Detective?"

The senior detective gulps. "...Feminism?"

"Anyway," Jungeun cuts in, thoroughly amused, "Detective Son, I'll catch you up on the cereal thief-"

"Serial cereal stealer."

"-once I'm done with this short report. I think you'll have a full understanding of the case after you read this. JKL is watching our every move, so we have to be very careful, and very efficient." 

Hyejoo nods. Sooyoung is terribly uncomfortable with being relegated to the side. She's supposed to be the primary on this case! Is she just going to sit there and let a newbie steal her thund-

"Oh that's not necessary I think I have it all down. We all agree it's an inside job, right? I'll go ahead and interview the managers of the three affected marts. The cereal thief-"

"Serial cereal stealer!" At this point, Sooyoung's just desperate.

"-should have been on the roster within the last three months to know exactly where the new CCTVs were placed." With each tap on the board, Sooyoung feels Hyejoo’s forceful finger chipping away at her confidence. 

What’s worse is how Jungeun affirms Hyejoo with yet another nod. What's wrong with her partner today? Sooyoung doesn't get it. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t pelted Jungeun with anything all morning, and that threw off her entire vibe. That’s sad, Sooyoung remarks, they were working so well together. 

Her mind fills with images of Jungeun and Hyejoo solving cases together. Without her. Just two brilliant minds working hand-in-hand to take down Gangnam’s biggest crime circles. They trot gracefully into the sunset together. Trot! How dare they? It fills her with indescribable rage.

"Agreed, we can split-" 

Sooyoung interrupts, "Hold on, how are we so sure that an employee is the serial cereal stealer? And are we forgetting the precise method of the serial cereal stealer? What kind of serial cereal stealers only steals one batch of one brand of cereal from one store? And isn’t it strange that the same person made the phone call every time?" 

"Just say 'perp', Ha," says Jungeun. The shred of annoyance in her voice is familiar, but today she can't help but feel a little hurt knowing that Jungeun took the new detective's side over hers in a heartbeat. 

"A little bit of illiteration never hurt anybody. Yes, I know big words, Kim. I know you're finding me super hot right about now." 

What used to be mindless flirting has started sounding a little like scorn. Jungeun looks a little taken aback, but is still generally unfazed and unaffected by Sooyoung’s inner turmoil. 

"Alliteration."

The interruption breaks their eye contact. “What?"

"Alliteration," Hyejoo repeats. "Not illiteration. See you, Detective Ha. I'll go ahead and get the names of the managers. Jungeun?"

“Sure, let’s go, Hyejoo.” Jungeun quickly gathers her belongings to avoid the eyes of her (currently, very fragile) partner. First-name basis. She doesn’t even have to look to feel the disappointment and shock radiating off of Sooyoung and filling the room. 

Hook, line, and sinker. Jungeun can't help but crack a smile when she leaves the room behind the detective, and a flustered Sooyoung alone in the meeting room. 

When they reach Hyejoo’s desk and she busies herself with pulling out the three names, Jungeun realises she’s never worked a case in such peace and quiet before. It’s professional and proper. It’s normal, how it’s supposed to be. 

But if there’s one thing Jungeun has learnt in her time with criminals, it’s that the guilt, whenever it arises, only ever sets in after. That’s why some of them turn themselves in, while others lose their minds trying to fix their mistakes. 

She crosses her arms, fingers tapping erratically on her biceps. “Were we a little too obvious with the teaming up back there?”

Hyejoo briefly studies her conflicted expression. “You said she harasses you, right? Nothing wrong with getting back at her.”

“I mean, I wouldn’t use the word ‘harass’. I wouldn’t let anyone get away with harassing me,” mutters Jungeun. 

“But she bothers you, and I don’t have the best impression of her,” Hyejoo replies with a shrug. “Seems like fair treatment to me.”

“She’s just- I can’t stand her.”

Hyejoo taps the keyboard, and the printer whirs into action. She’s got the names, so that’s the end of that conversation as they know it. A day or two of “mentoring” has shown Jungeun that the detective just isn’t much of a talker. 

“Let’s go,” Hyejoo says, adjusting the holster on her waist. Sensing that Jungeun is troubled, she asks, “What’s the problem?” 

Jungeun thinks of the lighter she had entrusted to her partner previously, and groans.

“I’m sorry,” Jungeun says decidedly. “You’re gonna have to give me a minute.”

When Jungeun strides back where she came from with an apology on her tongue, what she expects is a wave of guilt hitting her as she sees Sooyoung’s shrivelled form folding into herself. What she doesn’t expect to see is Detective Ha Sooyoung, solving the case all on her own.

“Hey, are you alright? I’m sor- Woah!”

“It’s LANA!” Sooyoung turns to yell into Jungeun’s face. 

“Sooyoung, what?”

Sooyoung grabs her partner by her shoulders, eyes growing to the size of those ridiculously large coasters Jungeun uses to ‘catch all the water droplets’. Jungeun tenses up in surprise, blinking rapidly. “Lana Jung, the outcast among the Jung sisters. The third wheel. The last letter in JKL. She wanted to tarnish the JKL name and topple higher management with a bunch of crimes so she could swoop in and take the company. The crimes were too prim and proper. They wanted to make it look like a statement, a serial cereal crime. But they forgot to cover up one loose end.”

Jungeun’s mind whirs. She knew in that instant who Sooyoung was referring to - the one person who made all the reports. “Lana Jung’s assistant!”

* * *

Lana Jung sits in her holding cell, checking her nails and looking impatient. Their serial cereal stealer is more clumsy millennial criminal than sexy scheming mastermind, but that’s okay. What matters is they got her. The Luke Hemsworth of the Jung Sisters! The media would have a field day with that news. 

“I’m impressed, Detective. And sorry, for all that.”

“No, no, no need to apologise. I only solved the case because I realised Lana Jung was probably feeling the same as me. Just a lonely third hand in what, on the surface, looks like a two-woman operation,” bemoans Sooyoung.

Hyejoo gives her a laugh. Sooyoung has earned that much, for now. 

“Krystal,” Sooyoung continues, finger pointed towards Jungeun making coffee in the distance, “aaaaaand Jessica.” Hyejoo pushes away the hand in her face, annoyed by how smug the detective is, but not all that put off by her anymore. The detective is smart, and definitely not the incompetent Lana Jung of their operation, no matter how inspired she was after being an outcast. “Now that that nightmare is over, will you stop snatching airtime on my cases now?”

Hyejoo shrugs. “I’ll stop upstaging you if you can stop talking about me behind my back.”

Her expression doesn’t give away how she found out about the talking, or what she feels about it. Either way, Sooyoung is terrified of the way Hyejoo is glaring at her, however much she’s led to believe the eye contact is actually friendly. She can’t help but sneak a glance towards Jiwoo’s and Chaewon’s desk. They haven’t gotten murdered and buried in a forest somewhere yet. 

“Alright,” Sooyoung smiles, extending a hand. “You got a deal.” 

Or not, Sooyoung thinks in her head, her other hand behind her back with two fingers crossed. Like the gullible fool she is, Hyejoo shakes it, blissfully unaware of Sooyoung’s plans to figure out whether Chaewon has a thing for the younger detective or not. 

“A deal for what?” Jungeun approaches, two coffee cups in her each hand. When Sooyoung reaches for one, Jungeun intentionally passes it to Hyejoo instead. 

“Thanks, Jungeun. Don’t go back on your word, Detective Ha.”

“I won’t!” Sooyoung calls to her retreating figure. “I keep my promises!” 

Jungeun looks up from the mug she’s drinking from disapprovingly. “You’re clearly crossing your fingers behind your back.”

“Detective Son doesn’t need to know that. Also, you owe me an apology.”

Jungeun curtly holds her mug with both hands, dips her head, and appears as if she’s mentally preparing herself for it. “I’m… sorry. It’s just so tempting to take a side that is the opposite of yours, you have to know that. Plus, the face you make when you look defeated is just, it’s the stuff of dreams.”

“I’m beginning to think you’re making fun of me,” says Sooyoung cautiously.

“So what if I am?” Jungeun just smirks, casually walking away. 

Sooyoung keeps watching her until she disappears down the hallway. Returning to her desk, she can’t help but crack a smile.

_Thanks for the good solve. You can call me Jungeun too, you know._

She sips on the coffee Jungeun left with the note, shaking her head in amusement. 

Sooyoung laughs. “Sounds good, Jungeun."

* * *

Chaewon refuses to look up from her phone even as she sees Jiwoo skipping towards her in the corner of her eye.

“What do you want, Jiwoo?”

“Guess what?” She sings, mouth pulled into a wide grin.

“No time for guessing games. I’m busy with work.” Chaewon says, with a flick of her wrist, hoping Jiwoo would take the cue to leave.

But she only frowns, “You’re literally making an Oh My Girl streaming playlist right now?”

“And yet I still do more important work than all of you detectives combined,” Chaewon replies cattily. “So, are you just gonna stand there and watch me or are you going to start talking?”

“Fineee. Whateverrrr.” Jiwoo takes a deep breath, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance before she exhales. “I just saw Sooyoung getting chummy with your girlfriend.” 

She wiggles her eyebrows at the end of her sentence and Chaewon puts her phone down, finally looking at her friend.

“SHE IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!!!”

From a few desks over, Heejin and Hyunjin stop fighting over a donut hole (suspicious because it definitely wasn’t them who went out and bought those treats) to stare at them.

Chaewon stands and grabs Jiwoo by the elbow to bring her closer. Lowering her voice, she whispers threateningly.

“She is _not_ my girlfriend, Jiwoo. What the hell.”

“Are you sure?” There’s a knowing look in Jiwoo’s eyes that Chaewon would very much like to poke away with her fingers. “Like, you don’t want her to be? Even just a little bit?”

“Ugh, Jiwoo.” Chaewon rolls her eyes, while Jiwoo’s continue to sparkle with endless possibilities. “I can see that she’s not bad to look at but please stop projecting your thoughts on me.” 

She shoves her away and makes a move to return to her very important work, ready to consider the matter settled. But then, as if the universe itself is out to prove her wrong, it sends a blindingly bright star into the room, marching straight to where they both stood bickering. 

The star wears leather from top to bottom. Something about the way that jacket flutters behind her like a prince with a cape and how that raven hair flows down her shoulders like the darkness falling at night has Chaewon’s mind bursting into galaxies. The thoughts that intrude her mind are like words only John Green can fathom into the next best-selling cheesy romance novel. 

The detective beside her catcalls under her breath. Chaewon shushes her by stepping on her foot. Jiwoo holds back the yelp as Detective Son Hyejoo stops right in front of them. 

“Hey, umm, Chaewon?” Hyejoo addresses her. “Detective Ha,” she pauses to frown at saying the name, “asked me to give this to you.” 

She holds out a folder and waits patiently for Chaewon to receive it, as the captain’s assistant doesn’t move for a while, feeling stunned at how something inside of her has shifted. 

“Captain needs it for a meeting or something.” Hyejoo explains, thinking her silence meant confusion. 

Chaewon regains movement of her hand and grabs the folder. As their hands brush against each other, for a moment, the corners of Hyejoo’s mouth raise to what can only be a smile, albeit, the tiniest one. So tiny that her expression only looks neutral at best.

Chaewon still can’t say anything, so Jiwoo takes that as her cue to wave away the junior detective. “Cool. Thanks, Hyejoo!” 

She turns to Chaewon who remains frozen even as Hyejoo leaves. 

“Who’s the one projecting now, ChaCha?” Jiwoo sings, curling her hands and putting them together in front of her eyes like binoculars. “I see right through you. You’re always looking at her when you refuse to even look at others, you know?” 

“Shut up. I need to text Heeyeon.” Chaewon says through gritted teeth.

“Wait, who?” Jiwoo drops her hands to her sides in confusion.

“My psychic, Jiwoo!” She hisses.

“Oooh. The hot lady! Do you mind giving me her number? I could use a palm reading!”

“There must be a shift in something…” Chaewon fans herself with the folder Hyejoo passed to her, huffing to herself. Her phone buzzes with a reply from Heeyeon. “VENUS IS IN RETROGRADE!” Her eyes widen in realisation as she looks towards the obvious source of all of her problems. “Wretched woman! Get away from me, you cursed Libra!”

“Ow! Ow! What the? Stop hitting me, I don’t understand astrology!”

* * *

Hyejoo leans back on her chair, sighing at the comfort of the plush leather on her sore shoulders. The workday is only halfway over but she’s already exhausted. She really shouldn’t have agreed to work out with Hyunjin. While some can argue that having a workout buddy has its benefits, Hyejoo refuses to believe it does. At least, not when the two parties are extremely competitive for their own good and turn doing shoulder presses into a game.

Stretching her arms above her head, she watches her deskmate, Jiwoo, pull out a sticker-covered lunchbox from her desk drawer.

“Lunchtime! Did you pack anything with you today, Hyejoo?” She asks, her brightness and energy unwavering.

“Uhh, no. I was… gonna get something from Subway, maybe. I’m just waiting for the lines to get shorter.” She mumbles in reply.

“Oooh, I see. I see. Come join us in the break room once you get your food!” She smiles at her widely and Hyejoo frowns.

She looks hesitantly at the people already seated on the roundtable in the breakroom - Heejin stacking kimbap slices on Hyunjin’s open mouth, Sergeant Wong sitting five feet apart from Captain Jo as they discuss something, and Chaewon shaking Sooyoung by the shoulder repeatedly (as if she was trying to get her to do something), consequently preventing the senior detective from bringing her burrito close to her mouth.

“I think I'll eat with Jungeun like I always do.” Hyejoo nods to the other detective who has her food out on her desk while she sits slouched and glaring at her computer monitor.

Jiwoo scrunches her nose and pouts, but she nods in understanding just the same. As she goes, Hyejoo’s phone starts vibrating with notification after notification.

d.r.e.a.m. squad    
  
**detective hawt sooyoung** _added_ **Son Hyejoo** _into_ **d.r.e.a.m. squad**   
welcome to the gangnam gang gang detective hawt sooyoung  
ヽ(＾Д＾)ﾉ welcome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it’s a group without the cap or the sarge so you can be HONEST about your FEELINGS here!!!! det. kim jiweewoo (≧∀≦ゞ  
  


Hyejoo hates it already.

“Seems you’ve been initiated,” Jungeun tells her with a laugh. “You’ll probably want to have it on mute, like me.” She types something into her phone. Hyejoo hears the ding and feels the buzz on hers.

  
Welcome! Kim Jungeun  
Thanks... Son Hyejoo  
Also, Gangnam gang... gang? We're police... Kim Jungeun  
gang = negative. gang gang = two negatives which makes a positive. do i have to teach you math jungeun?  detective hawt sooyoung  
  


  
anyways (￣▼￣*)  speaking of being honest about your feelings... det. kim jiweewoo (≧∀≦ゞ  
  


A small voice suddenly yells, “Hey Jiwoo, do you remember that one time in 2013 when you did that thing at that place?” It’s Chaewon with the threat. “I remember it. I remember it so well.”

  
(；一ω一||) fine let's talk about how sooyoung and jungeun are finally addressing each other by first name instead det. kim jiweewoo (≧∀≦ゞ  
  


As the messages come, Hyejoo shakes her head. This is going to annoy her for a while. When she looks to the administrator of the group, she finds her smile growing. Chaewon was just whispering something into Sooyoung’s ear when she made eye contact. Hyejoo is the one who has to look away quickly. It hasn’t been more than a few weeks since she’d joined the squad, and she doesn’t want to let them see her smile. It’s not time yet.

The notifications keep coming. Heejin and Hyunjin, in her peripheral, have halted their shenanigans to laugh at their phones. She swipes to open the chat, and finds herself laughing too.

Not so bad, maybe.

**Author's Note:**

> find us on twitter! feel free to yell at us  
> [@2jinverse](https://twitter.com/2jinverse)  
> [@matchasnowice](https://twitter.com/matchasnowice)
> 
> check out our other fics that we totally plan on updating  
> [sujiverse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sujiverse/works)  
> [matchasnow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/matchasnow/works)


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